10

SEVEN OR EIGHT tracer streamed up into the sky. We heard the liberated 12.7’s heavy report a second later.

‘There she is, Mr Nick. The little one’s mother.’

Our boat turned in the direction of a second burst. The propeller left the water for a second as the skiff wallowed in the swell and the outboard went into overdrive.

Stefan held the iPhone to my face. ‘Papa wants to talk to you.’

‘Everything is ready at the airport. How long until you get there?’

‘We’ve been linking up again. I’m not sure where we are. But I’m guessing a couple of hours, maybe three.’

‘Very good, Nick. There will be transport waiting at Malindi airport. The pilot has the details.’

‘I’ll call you before we take off.’

There was a momentary silence.

‘Nick, thank you. Thank you very, very much.’

‘Don’t thank me yet. We’re still bobbing up and down in the middle of nowhere.’

There was another tracer burst. Stefan hugged me. I looked down at him. ‘It’s OK, mate. It’s just telling us where your mummy is.’

Frank barked, ‘What’s happening?’

‘Everything’s fine. They’re just showing us where Tracy is. She’s on another skiff. Would you like to talk with her when we meet up?’

That was a no-brainer. ‘She and I will talk later. Nick, I know you’re not safe yet – I understand that – but I do thank you.’

‘No drama. We’ll talk soon, OK?’

I slid the iPhone back into my pocket. We were closing on the other skiff. They treated us to another fireworks display even though we were only about ten metres away. The 12.7’s muzzle flash strobed the passengers. BB was down by the engine. Pissed-off was written all over his face. ‘Stop that fucking racket, you cunts! They’re on fucking top of us!’

Stefan gripped me even harder.

I hadn’t noticed it before in the frenzy, but he stank. He absolutely reeked. I supposed we all did.

‘Your mummy’s right there. You’re going to see her soon, yeah?’

He nodded into my chest. ‘Mummy?’

‘Yes. Not long now. Look.’ I pointed at the dark shape bobbing in the swell about five metres away.

The two lads in the bow got off their mobiles and grabbed the side of the other boat. We levelled off. Tracy was already leaning towards us, her arms outstretched. ‘Stefan!’

He almost wriggled out of my arms. ‘Let me help you, mate. It’s a bit late for a swim.’ The last thing I wanted was him falling between the two boats.

The 12.7 from the technical was hanging off the bow of Tracy’s boat. It was clearly Star-gigs’s turn at the trigger. He couldn’t have been happier if it was a giant marlin. There were empty shell cases all over the deck.

I hoisted the boy over the side. Tracy grabbed him and almost fell backwards into her boat. Star-gigs steadied her and eased them both back onto the centre bench.

They were soon stuck together like glue, crying into each other’s hair. She pulled back and stroked his cheek. ‘It’s OK, darling.’ Then, as Star-gigs fired up his lighter and lit something that smelt stronger than a cigarette, I saw her face in the darkness.

‘Nick …’

She tried to say more but her sobs were suddenly the noisiest thing in this part of the ocean.

BB had had enough of this shit. ‘Listen, those other two cunts are out there somewhere. How are we supposed to find them?’

I turned back to Awaale. He was on his mobile. ‘Mr Nick, is everything OK at the airport? The money?’

‘All ready to go. But where are the other two?’

He didn’t answer. He got busy with his mobile instead. And he wasn’t a happy bunny.

‘Awaale, you have got the other two, haven’t you?’

BB scuttled across the deck towards me. ‘What’s up?’

‘The other two lads. I think they’re Georgians. They speak English? You get anything out of them?’

He shook his head. ‘We weren’t allowed to talk. But so what?’

He stank as bad as Stefan did.

‘We’re going to find out for Frank who they are, then hand them over to these lads. We think they killed the clan boss’s brother.’

I left out the bit about Jan. Now wasn’t the time for Tracy to learn about that. She had enough shit to deal with.